West Barnes in 1567

West Barnes in 1567

On 16 December1567 Licence was granted to Catherine Gresham, widow of Sir John Gresham, and his sons William and John Gresham, to alienate West Barns to John Carpenter and Elizabeth his wife a messuage, garden, orchard, 300 acres land, 100 acres meadow, 300 acres pasture, 100 acres wood and 100 acres heath and furze, with pertinents in Westbarnes and Merton, including tithes:¹

Messuage called West Barns, formerly in the tenure of Thomas Bedyll and Geoffrey Bedell

7 small closes of land and pasture near the messuage 31 acres

A close of land and pasture called Bromesell 33 acres

Hoppyng Mede, a close of land, meadow, pasture and wood 45 acres

Hoppyng, a close of land, meadow, pasture and wood 55½ acres

Pitles, a close of land, meadow, pasture and wood 25 acres

Eastfeld, a close of land and pasture 106 acres

Canondownhyll, a close of land and pasture 48 acres

A close of land, meadow, pasture and wood called Twyryfeld 33 acres

Meadow and pasture called Westfeld and Blaldenys 188 acres

TOTAL: 564½ acres

all that wood and land called Westbarns copies in the parish of Merton 20 acres.

In fact Carpenter seems to have bought the estate gradually over several years:

15.11.1568 John Gresham of London quitclaimed to John Carpenter of Merton and Elizabeth wife for £200 paid by John Carpenter to John Gresham.:- ²

lands meadows and pastures called Westfield plus Tythes

23.11.1570 John Gresham mercer son of Sir John Gresham kt. deceased Alderman quitclaimed to John Carpenter of West Barnes Yeoman and Elizabeth his wife: ³

messuage late occupied by Thomas Bedle and Jeffrey Bedell

and close of land, meadow, pasture and wood called Twyrifield 33 acres

and wood and land called West Barns copies 20 acres

A large section of the estate didn't pass into Carpenter's ownership:

25.2.1573/4 John Gresham citizen and mercer of London received Licence⁴ to give possession to Thomas Randall citizen and mercer, and Thomas Randall his eldest son and their heirs:

that land called Blaldenys als. Blackdenys containing 113 acres

and all that his land called Canondowne Hilles containing 40 acres

together with all lands, meadows, leasowes, pastures, woods, rents, reversions, services, tithes of grain, sheaves and hay, oblations, obventions, profits, commodities, emoluments and heredities arising and growing of in and upon the premises and all other rights portions and pertinents whatsover belonging to the said land called Blaldenys als. Blackdenys or Canondowne Hilles situate in the parish of Marton als Marten in county of Surrey;

Canondowne Hilles was returned to the West Barnes estate in 1596, but Blaldenys became the separate Blagdon Farm (Visit our pages on Blagdon Farm).

However, Carpenter continued to farm these lands until at least 1586:

On 1 May 1586 licence was granted to Thomas Randall gent to alienate to Thomas Chapman and his heirs:⁵

all land and hereditaments with pertinents called Blaldenys als. Blackdenys containing 113 acres

and all land called Canondowne Hilles containing 48 acres

and all lands, tenements, tithes, and hereditaments upon the premises

in the parish of Marten als Marten, in county of Surrey

in the tenure of John Carpenter

¹ TNA C 66/1041 m.28-29

²SHC 212/71/2

³SHC 212/71/4

⁴TNA A 4/1 fo.133

⁵TNA A 4/4 fo.54